


A Partner in Death

by Strumaria



Series: NnoiTes Week 2018 [1]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, NnoiTes Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-02
Updated: 2018-10-02
Packaged: 2019-07-23 23:16:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16168784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strumaria/pseuds/Strumaria
Summary: Nnoitra has been stalking his next meal for days.  He finally catches Tesla and indulges himself.





	A Partner in Death

Nnoitra scowled at the sharp pangs of hunger radiating from his stomach. He hadn't eaten in a few days, and he was starved. He knew better than to procrastinate, but he was long past the time of gluttonous sprees across the countryside. He preferred quality over quantity now and enjoyed the hunt more anyway. Nnoitra always had a knack for violence; even when he was alive he enjoyed hunting. It wasn't that he was necessarily dead now, on the contrary, he was undead and immortal. 

It had been at least fifty years since he was turned into this beast. He had stopped counting the years because it didn't matter to him anymore. The shady tavern patron he had met outside in the dark and narrow alley was swaying around carelessly. Nnoitra thought it would be an easy fight and an easy way to let out some pent-up feelings of anger and resentment. He had always been one to carry a chip on his shoulder. So, he entered into this dispute that would obviously lead to a brawl simply for the release and sheer enjoyment of it. Little did he know; the drunken act had been a ruse. The seemingly impaired man effortlessly pinned his long slender body against a brick wall and took what he wanted. He didn't know why the man hadn't just killed him. He would have preferred death. At the very least he deserved a clean death after the embarrassing loss. He had never been so easily overpowered in his life. It made him feel uneasy, weak, and insignificant. It was most likely because of that very feeling that he began hunting unsuspecting humans. They were more enjoyable and entertaining to hunt than deer or boar. 

Now Nnoitra lied in wait. He had been observing particularly interesting prey for the past day. The blonde butcher reeked of blood. What's more, he tended to work late so Nnoitra could observe him safely away from the burning rays of the sun. He imagined the taste of this butcher to be exquisite on its own but adding the lingering traces of blood from the butchered animals would be simply divine. The thought brought back distant memories of his mother's celebrated holiday roast. Just the thought made him want this butcher even more. 

He emerged from the shadows and slowly approached the shop. He couldn't just enter like any other patron. There was the whole invitation matter to consider. He just wanted to get a closer look. He loitered in the adjacent alleyway waiting for the distinct sound of the heavy doors locking into place. Although the butcher worked late, business hours were long over so there would be no more customers. They would be alone. It was deep into the night and hardly anyone was out. Nnoitra noticed the odd inebriated person pass by every so often, but that was to be expected with a tavern across the street. It seemed later than normal and Nnoitra almost ventured out into the open to check on his prey when he heard the familiar sound of the doors locking into place. He crouched slightly as he readied himself to pull the butcher into the alley. 

”Mister Tesla, would you like to join us for a pint?" The slurred words of a drunken stranger floated through the chilly air. Nnoitra quickly moved back and pressed himself against the cold wall. Had he been discovered? No, this was merely a coincidence. His eye narrowed as his gaze followed the blonde butcher walking across the street. Damn, at this rate, he'd had to settle for just any stranger that passed by and give up the hunt. He didn't want to think about all the wasted time spent being hungry. He was going to catch his prey. The hours passed by agonizingly slow. It was nearing dawn and soon Nnoitra would have to retire for the day. No meal was worth the consequence of staying out past dawn. 'Fuck it, just a little bit longer,' he thought to himself, brushing a stray strand of hair behind his ear and off his eyepatch.

Nnoitra had always been a unique individual and that was no different, even now. Most of his kind had found a way to amass wealth and enjoyed flaunting their riches. He was far from that. In life, he hadn't cared for being well off. His family was nothing special. In his adulthood, he worked labor jobs. It got him by and gave him time to do what he loved best, which was to drink and fight. He lived a careless life. It didn't really matter to him one way or the other if he died as long as he lived a good life and went down in a glorious blaze. He didn't have fancy clothes made from the finest fabrics. Most of what he owned now was the same stuff he had in life. The best way to describe him was functional. His clothes were just good enough to keep him warm. He didn't really care for fashion or anything of the sort and he never had. He didn't like change and any change he made ended up taking a long time to be implemented. He felt he didn't have to change even if everything else had. Nnoitra stood there looking like a scruffy rebellious outlaw with his rough eyepatch and well-worn clothes. The butcher he was watching seemed like him in that sense. 

Nnoitra's frustrated groan quietly echoed in the alleyway. He straightened up and prepared to leave. He scowled at the thought of going through another day hungry, but that had been his own fault. He figured if anything he'd catch a passerby on his way home to satiate his hunger. The butcher had a stroke of luck it seemed because he'd live another day. Nnoitra imagined how the sturdy blonde would struggle against him, his muscles rippling in an effort to free himself from his grasp. A faint smile spread across his face. Nothing satisfied Nnoitra more than watching his prey despair at his hands. 

"...need help?" Nnoitra's gaze darted to a figure standing at the entrance to the alley. The man's deep voice had interrupted his train of thought since he was so carelessly entranced. He recognized the figure as the butcher. He didn't question how he was able to sneak up on him so easily. He basically had dinner delivered right into his hands and he was ecstatic. A fiendish grin replaced his amused smile as he approached the butcher.

"Eh? I didn't catch that. What did ya say?" Nnoitra made no effort to hide the excitement in his voice. The butcher stepped back instinctively. Tesla's eyes quickly scanned over the tall lanky man before him. Nnoitra's arm shot out to grab the butcher by the collar, pulling him closer to better observe him. He could feel the ragged breaths on his neck although the butcher seemed rather calm. He was bothered by this. He wanted to instill panic and despair in his prey, not a sense of calm. He glared at the blonde angrily awaiting a response. Perhaps he'd give him a reason why he wasn't afraid. 

"I asked if you needed any help, you seemed lost." The butcher's voice had just a hint of shakiness in it. Nnoitra would have missed the subtly of it had he been further away. His frustration dissipated, and he had now become intrigued. He knew full well that his fangs were visible when he grinned, yet this man showed no fear. He took a deep breath and took in the scents on this man. It was clear he had been drinking. He reeked of tobacco and ale, but there were undertones of different types of blood. The smell was nearly intoxicating to Nnoitra. Initially, he had planned of just taking what he wanted and satisfying his hunger, but this man was deserving of more. His calm demeanor and steely nerves in the face of death impressed Nnoitra. 

"Tell ya what, I changed my mind. I ain't gonna kill ya tonight, well...heh, not exactly." The butcher gulped audibly at Nnoitra's words. Still, he made no move to escape nor did he seem frozen in fear. Nnoitra was still slightly annoyed by this fact. He roughly grabbed a handful of blonde hair and yanked his head to the side to expose the butcher's neck. He bared his fangs and hungrily sank them into the smooth and pristine skin. Nnoitra covered the butcher's mouth while draining him of his blood. Surprisingly he didn't make much noise, just a surprised yelp and some grunts. He tightened his grip on the blonde to support him as he felt his body becoming limp. The thick red liquid coated Nnoitra's throat as it coursed down into his stomach. He needed this. He carefully lowered himself while still supporting the butcher until he had just about drained all of his blood and set him against the wall. He removed his hand from the butcher's mouth since his gasping wasn't too loud. 

"Why?" The blonde managed to finally choke out a question, really the only question that mattered. Nnoitra looked over the man with disdain. He had asked the same question that Nnoitra had never gotten answered. He spent many years wondering why that man had chosen him to the point he nearly drove himself mad. That was the turning point between Nnoitra's self-loathing and acceptance of what he had become. He realized he was stronger now and grew to accept it. In fact, he had grown to love that aspect of his situation. He loved being nearly invulnerable. The downside was that he didn't have anyone that offered a challenge. He realized that was why he hunted larger and more muscular men than himself, though they never offered the fight he had hoped. Even now, this well-built blonde offered nearly no resistance. The alcohol level in his blood didn't seem like it was enough to explain his unusual calmness. 

"Tch, Tesla was it? There ain't a reason other than I needed to eat." Nnoitra stood up and loomed over his defeated prey. Blood trailed from his bottom lip down to his pointed chin and dripped onto his jacket. He ran his long tongue across his lip to clean up his mess. He never made much effort to eat carefully. He had always been a ravenous eater, even in life. His gaze fell upon the blonde that had slouched awkwardly against the wall. He nudged him with his foot causing him to fall over. Pathetic. Maybe he had made a mistake in choosing him. "Sit up." He watched Tesla struggle to push himself up to a sitting position. “Ya need to get out of the sun ya idiot. Heh, it ain't gonna be nice when it's daylight." Tesla's face was covered in a familiar cold sweat. Nnoitra recognized the transition as if it were yesterday. Tesla writhed in pain on the cobblestone paved alley. Nnoitra's gaze never faltered as he continued to watch him. He leaned down and patted Tesla's damp pockets. 'Tch, what a slob,' he thought to himself. He pulled out a keyring and quickly made his way around to the front of the shop to open the door. He fumbled for a bit but eventually was able to find the correct key. He returned to Tesla and helped him up. Once in the butcher shop, he set Tesla down in a windowless storage room in the back. He gave Tesla a once over before leaving and locking the door behind him. He knew that Tesla worked alone and was the only person with keys to the shop. He knew Tesla would be safe and wouldn't be discovered. He wouldn't be able to gather the strength to move until another day or two. He'd return after sundown with some supplies to help ease the pain and the transition. If all went well, he'd return home with Tesla in tow and ensure everything continued smoothly. This was the first time he had cared for someone through their transition. The man had done it for him and disclosed that if he hadn't, Nnoitra wouldn't have survived. 

Nnoitra didn't want this man to die as much as he hated admitting that to himself. He had finally found someone that didn't fear him. Nnoitra wasn't sure exactly why he didn't want this man to die. He had never fought any of his kind, so maybe this man could be an opponent for him. Perhaps he could offer more than the role of a sparring partner. The years had been long and lonely for Nnoitra. He wasn't a social person by any means, but at least in life he had a brother to go to when he needed. Now he had no one. His brother and the rest of his family died years ago. The man that had killed him was long gone and nowhere to be found. It sickened Nnoitra to even think he had tried to find him, but he didn't know who else to turn to in his despair. He needed at least some kind of occasional contact. He didn't care for the people of the night now that he was different. He had changed, and they were weak and beneath him. Tesla was the kind of person he might have befriended in life. He was strong and stoic. Nnoitra never was a fan of the philosophical types. Tesla wasn't that. He also didn't seem like the type to scare easily if he boldly and unflinchingly stared death in the face. Nnoitra chuckled to himself as he finally reached his home. It seemed that he had found someone he could befriend in death when he had no one in life.  He had found a partner.  


**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for NnoiTes Week but uploaded it to Tumblr first.


End file.
